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The Queen of Spades
Artist John Macfarlane designed the original production, including two banraku puppets and a Spitting Image-style half-body puppet, which all featured in a scene played out on top of a large gaming table. We wanted to make a short film based on the opera and liked the idea of using the puppets, rather than members of the cast. A script was worked up from the libretto (and a close reading of Pushkin’s short story that inspired the original opera), and the rest was created with the help of Bristol-based Green Ginger.
Produced and Directed by WNO Digital
Narration by Tom Cullen
Puppets by Mandy Dymond
Puppeteers Green Ginger
Opera Express
In Autumn 2009, WNO worked in partnership with Valley of Hope to create a song cycle performed live on railway stations and on board a Valleys Line train. The songwriters were all former substance abusers, some of whom had also experienced homelessness. Valley Of Hope in Aberdare helps its members turn their lives round; the songs they wrote for performance by WNO artists gives a powerful insight into their troubled lives.
Directed by Davina Payne
